70 percent cocoa
by mtranc3
Summary: It all happened because of desert.


**Title:** 70% cocoa  
**Author:** mtranc3  
**Pairing:** Sebastian/Ciel  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **It all happened because of a cake.  
**Warnings:** Un'beta'd  
**Disclaimer:** The characters depicted herein are property of Toboso Yana. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

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Maylene bowed humbly and croaked in her shrilly voice: "Sebastian-san, please take good care of the young master!"

"And Puru Puru!" Finny yelled beside her.

All of the Phantomhive staff shook their heads vehemently. Ciel rolled his eyes.

"Well then, we're taking our leave" Tanaka, (who was in his normal size) said respectfully and took a bow. The other three were already at the door.

"Goodbye!"

"See you soon!"

"Cornwall awaits!"

The door closed with a bang and Sebastian turned to his master with a smile;

"Finally some peace. It will be quiet for a while, young master"

"Good" Ciel said as if he was talking to himself and made his way up the stairs. Sebastian bowed deeply at his retreating back.

****

Ciel raised his head from the documents he was reading at the sound of the door. Sebastian's head popped in.

"What would the young master like with his tea?"

Ciel was feeling rather peckish and his mind immediately flooded with myriads of deserts at the question. He thought he might as well indulge himself.

"A black-forest cake with raspberries."

Sebastian nodded and then scratched his jaw.

"Black-forest... I will need Brazilian chocolate with 70% cocoa... I think we might have some at the cellar in the basement. I shall go and investigate."

Ciel waved him away with his hands and turned to his reading once more.

****

"What's taking him so long...?" Ciel mumbled checking his clock. It's almost been three hours...

He had finished checking the proposal for a purchase of a warehouse in the docklands area, and was idly playing with the ribbon decorating his neck. He stood up with a huff. Why does it have to be me to go look for him... he thought in annoyance.

The cellar was located in the basement. The only way in was from a trapdoor in the kitchen floor. Ciel expected to see Sebastian behind the kitchen bench with his sleeves rolled up, cooking furiously, but the room was strangely empty. And all the utensils were in their places shining glinting at the light.

Ciel found the trapdoor and put all his effort in raising it; the damn thing was diabolically heavy. He took a small step inside when Sebastian's voice startled him:

"Don't let it shut!"

Ciel leaped at the sudden noise and the door gave way and closed shut.

"What's wrong with you Sebastian! You gave me a real fright!"

The dim oil lamp Sebastian was holding illuminated his face and Ciel raised an eyebrow at the desolate look.

"Would you mind telling me what have you been doing here all this time?"

Sebastian finally raised his eyes and looked at his master who was descending the stairs carefully at the semi-darkness.

He shook his head thinking how to break the news.

"I was locked in."

Ciel's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

Sebastian gave him a part miserable, part amusing grimace.

"It won't open from inside... I'm afraid."

"Ciel pinched his nose. Why did these things kept happening to him?

"Are you sure?"

"I kept pushing at it and even tried to breaking it, but it's iron made and apparently only opens from the other side. I'm sorry, I didn't try to warn you in time."

Ciel descended the rest of the steps. "And there is no other way out?"

Sebastian shook his head and raised the oil lamp higher so the light could spread around the small room.

Ciel noticed he was clutching something to his chest.

"At least you found the chocolate..." he said sarcastically.

His butler frowned for a second, but then looked down at his hand. He put the bar back on the self next to him.

"At least he won't expire of starvation..." he said looking around. Indeed, the cellar was filled with rows upon rows of canned foods, blocks of different kind of cheeses, sausages hanging from thick hooks, and the smell of garlic was permeating the air.

"Is there anything we can do?" Ciel asked a little desperately. He was not comfortable in enclosed spaces and he was feeling the walls closing down on him.

Sebastian looked pensive. "I suppose we'll just have to wait. The others will be here in three days. We have enough food and I've spotted a few juice bottles at the back so we won't dehydrate at least."

More and more this was looking like a bad dream to Ciel. "I have things that require my attention! Do you honestly mean to say that we have to stay here for three whole days?"

"Forgive me, young master" Sebastian said grimly and bowed his head.

Ciel sat down in one of the steps abruptly. "I don't believe this."

Minutes ticked by and neither could tell how much time had passed. Ciel breathed heavily and loosened the knot at his neck a little.

"Is the young master feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." Ciel snapped." I just don't particularly care for enclosed spaces." Sebastian nodded in understanding. "There is... another problem" he said stiffly. Ciel raised his head wearily.

"I'm afraid the lamp will go out in an hour or so, and I haven't been able to find a bottle of oil, or candles."

"You mean to tell me we will have to stay here in the dark?!"

Ciel was wrong. This wasn't just a bad dream; this was the stuff of nightmares. After his parents... after what had happened, he couldn't stand the dark. When the lamp expired they would be as good as blind.

Suddenly everything started to pester him. The smell of garlic, the screeching of the stairs as he moved around. Sebastian still standing up holding the lamp like a statue.

"Not even her Majesty's guards stand so still Sebastian. You can move you know, sit down or something..."

The butler looked a little relieved and sat down in a corner gracefully. He made sure the light could reach Ciel even though it wouldn't be for long; the flame was getting smaller and smaller. Ciel, as if able to guess his thoughts, was also staring at the lamp nervously.

Sebastian who wasn't used to seeing his master shaken up, said softly: "Would the young master like to come and sit here before the light goes out?" He knew he was threading dangerous ground implying Ciel might be scared, but his job was to make everything better for his master, so he took the chance.

Ciel pursed his lips, throwing an imperceptive look around. His heart froze when the flame flickered, thinking this would be it, but to his relief it didn't go out. Sebastian was moving discreetly to his left leaving ample space should Ciel decided to sit with him.

"I suppose it would be best, instead of reaching for eachother in the dark" he said as an answer and made his way to Sebastian. He sat down primly and crossed his spread out legs.

"This is the worst..." he murmured, and closed his eyes.

****

When Ciel opened his eyes, still heavy from sleep, everything was dark. He looked around frantically but there was nothing but oppressing darkness.

"Sebastian?" he called panicky.

A hand grabbed his arm. "I'm right here" his butler's voice said. "The young master fell asleep and I didn't want to wake him, since sleeping makes the time past quicker..."

Ciel nodded but then realized Sebastian couldn't see him.

"Thank you" he said stiffly. "You may let go now."

Sebastian removed his hand at once. "Of course, excuse me."

Ciel decided it was creepier with Sebastian far, it was as if his voice was bodiless and he couldn't tell which way it was coming from, which was a little disconcerting.

A sudden thought hit him; "Sebastian, there aren't any rats here, are there?"

Sebastian almost smiled. It wasn't often that Ciel acted his age.

"The cellar is extremely clean and if am not mistaken, Bard lets the cat in once a week."

Ciel exhaled in relief. "I see.."

A few moments passed where neither spoke and Ciel was starting to feel uncomfortable again. He couldn't make out any shapes, he wasn't even sure where the staircase was. He moved his hand around and stopped when it came in contact with what probably was Sebastian's leg. Ciel retracted his hand immediately, but did move a little closer. It wasn't enough though; he wanted to know at least where one thing was, and he reached out with his hands again. Sebastian was ready this time and when Ciel brushed his side, he took his hand and held it between his own.

The butler smiled as he thought that his master was probably as red in the face as a beetroot right now, but was glad he didn't try to pull back.

"Am I burdening you Sebastian?" Ciel asked carefully.

"Of course you're not young master. All humans are weary of the dark, it's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"And you?"

"We both know I'm a demon so..." he said by way of an explanation.

After a while of holding his hand in suspension, Ciel grew tired. "Could you..." he said, and tried to move his palm.

"Oh, certainly" Sebastian replied and pulled Ciel's arm. Ciel yelped and landed half-sitting on Sebastian's lap. His hand was still clutched between his butler's, and they were now both resting on Ciel's leg.

"Sebastian what are you... doing?" Ciel asked, sounding really exasperated and tried to move away. Sebastian only held him closer. And given the demon was the stronger of the two meant that Ciel stayed firmly in his place.

"If the young master is comfortable and I am comfortable, I fail to see the problem" he offered airily.

Well I'm NOT comfortable Ciel thought, wanting to strangle his butler. The bastard was probably enjoying himself at his discomfort.

The fight slipped out of him after a while and he leaned carefully back, thinking of ways in which he would punish Sebastian when they'd get out of there. His back touched Sebastian's chest and Sebastian made a pleased sound.

"Why does it have to be 70% cocoa?! The cake, I mean. If it wasn't for that, we wouldn't be here now!"

"It gets too sweet if one doesn't use dark chocolate. The black-forest cake has to leave a slight bitter taste to the palate that is neutralized by the raspberries."

Ciel decided he wasn't interested at all in the secrets of desert making, so his thoughts had once again turned to the docklands proposal and he was totally caught by surprise when Sebastian's jaw rested on his shoulder.

"What the-" he begun to say, but then noticed Sebastian's even breathing and realized the butler was sound asleep.

He has the nerve to sleep! He felt immediately guilty at the thought, because he had already fallen asleep and Sebastian hadn't woken him. So he bit his lip and tried to remember his previous line of thoughts. It was a little difficult to concentrate with Sebastian's heavy head on his shoulder. If Ciel was honest with himself, he would admit that the weight was comforting, but as he was already harbouring unpleasant feeling for his butler at the moment, he decided to stay annoyed.

Sebastian murmured something in his sleep and a hot cloud of air hit Ciel's neck. He shivered at the sudden sensation. Sebastian nuzzled even closer and continued t sleep soundly.

Meanwhile, Ciel had all but stiffened up, wanting nothing more than to push Sebastian off and preferably against the wall.

"He knew, though, that it wasn't his servant's fault, and decided to ignore the way Sebastian's hair was tickling his cheek.

The junction between his neck and shoulder was getting sore. Ciel tried turning his head slowly, once to the right and once to the left, where he accidentally brushed Sebastian's jawbone. Ciel jerked back, knocking off his butler and causing him a rather a rude awakening. Sebastian slowly opened his eyes and mumbled 'Ciel-sama', his voice heavy with sleep.

"Ciel-sama?!" Cried cried incredulously. Sebastian shook his head, fully awake now, and hurried to apologize; "I'm sorry, my Lord, I was having a very peculiar dream that... involved the young master."

Ciel decided to let the slip pass. "I didn't know demons could dream..."

Sebastian nodded "Quite vividly."

The darkness was starting to get to Ciel again, so he wanted Sebastian to keep talking as a distraction.

"So? What was it about?"

"Well..."

Ciel didn't need to be able to see, to know his butler was smirking.

"Yes?" he prodded.

It involved a gondola."

"Like the ones in the city of Venice?"

"Yes, and I was the gondolier and was maneuvering it in a wide river. The young master was lying down amidst black roses and was wearing a... white gown..."

Ciel frowned. "I was wearing a dress?"

"Apparently, it was a wedding gown. We had returned from a chapel, and you had a golden band around your ring finger... and so did I-"

"Hush!" Ciel yelled, obviously missing the last part of Sebastian's story. The butler was rather annoyed. "I can hear... galloping!"

Sebastian focused his hearing, and indeed there was the sound of galloping coming closer and closer.

"It's a carriage!" Ciel stood up and after bumping at shelves and sacs of beans, knocking bottles around, he found the stairs and climbed up.

"Is anyone there?" he cried. "Help! We are down here!"

The galloping had stopped and Ciel kept yelling, even though he was starting to get irritating at Sebastian, who seemed for all the world, to be perfect at home in the cellar.

And then suddenly they heard stomping and the trapdoor was torn from its hinges and light flooded the enclosed space. Finny's smiling face came into view.

"I thought I heard your voice! What is the young master doing in the cellar?"

"We got locked in" Ciel said, climbing outside and blinking at the light. Sebastian got out as well and proceeded to dust off his clothes.

"What are you doing back here?"

"Oh, Tanaka-san forgot his favourite tea cup and refused to go on without it, so I..."

"Ok, ok, I see..." Ciel said dismissively. Finny opened a couple of cupboards and when he found the cup he grinned widely and rushed to he door. "We're already so late...!" he said as a greeting.

Sebastian took an apron out and set about preparing the cooking tools for making a cake.

"Don't bother" Ciel said and yawned. "I've lost my appetite... besides its late..." he trailed as he exited the kitchen. Sebastian bowed his head.

"Prepare my bed, and meanwhile you can explain why in the world we were wearing matching rings in your dream...."

The End


End file.
